Wisconsin Decorative Arts Database

About this collection

The Wisconsin Decorative Arts Database documents more than 1,000 examples of Wisconsin's rich material heritage from the collections of dozens of museums, historical societies and private individuals across the state. This digital resource reflects Wisconsin's wide variety of immigrant and indigenous traditions, encompassing a broad range of artifacts including furniture, ceramics, metalwork, quilts and needlework as well as beadwork, basketry, woodcarving and marquetry made in Wisconsin between 1820 and 1930.

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The Wisconsin Decorative Arts Database is a collaboration of the Chipstone Foundation, the Wisconsin Historical Society and the Material Culture Program of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The Wisconsin Decorative Arts Database is the recipient of an Award of Merit from the American Association of State and Local History. This national awards program grants the most prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of state and local history.